First things first: At last night’s talk at New York City’s Carnegie Hall — an event for thousands of young Harry Potter fans and their parents — J.K. Rowling outed the kindly headmaster.
Responding to a question from a child about Dumbledore’s love life, Rowling hesitated and then revealed, "I always saw Dumbledore as gay." Filling in a few more details, she said, "Dumbledore fell in love with Grindelwald…. Don’t forget, falling in love can blind us. [He] was very drawn to this brilliant person. This was Dumbledore’s tragedy." She added that in a recent meeting about the sixth movie, she spied a line in the script where Dumbledore waxed poetic about a girl, so she was forced to scribble director David Yates a note to correct the situation.
So how did all those lucky kids get to sit in the baronial gilt and red velvet splendor of Carnegie Hall? First they won a sweepstakes event created by Rowling’s publisher, Scholastic, and then they flew to New York from all over the country. As I waited in line in the unseasonal muggy New York heat to enter the famous concert hall, I chatted up the father and daughter in front of me. They’d just flown in from Nashville (what’s more, their plane had been delayed, so they’d arrived at the concert hall with mere minutes to spare). As I canvassed more families, I found they’d come from all over the country — from as far away as Arizona, Washington, Minnesota, and Texas (it was rumored some came from Hawaii, but I didn’t verify that).
When the line, snaking around the block, began moving at 6:30, it moved fast. By 7:00 everyone was seated, the red-jacketed ushers were shushing and closing the box doors, and the event host, MSNBC news anchor Keith Olbermann, took the stage. But not center stage, which was dominated by an enormous, velvet-upholstered, carved wooden chair — a throne, really — planted on a Persian carpet. Gesturing to it, Olbermann joked, "That’s not sufficient for someone who’ll be signing that many copies" — a reference to the fact that, after the reading, Rowling would be signing a copy of Hallows for every single sweepstakes winner.
The crowd was polite to Olbermann, but when a smiling Rowling finally strode on stage, perfectly blonded and coiffed, fingernails shellacked to a brilliant red, stilettos clicking, they went absolutely mad, screaming, jumping to their feet, even crying. Gently, in true mom fashion, she shushed them, and began to read from the seventh book. She’s a brilliant reader, funny and quick, doing all the voices with comic perfection — Ron was abashed and sullen; Hermione, squeaky with rage; Harry, exhausted with the effort to appease the two. (She even made herself giggle in places as she read.) When she finished the crowd rose to its feet again, even as she tried, in vain, to get them sit. "Don’t make me cry!" she kept saying. Finally everyone did sit, and the question-and-answer session could begin. The lucky questioners had mostly been chosen in advance (though a few were plucked at random); at least one little girl — 8 years old — could barely reach the microphone.
Neville’s love life? "He marries Hannah Abbott!" she announced as the crowd squealed its appreciation. (What’s more, Hannah becomes proprietress of The Leaky Cauldron, so Neville becomes cool to his students.)
Why is it Molly Weasley who kills Bellatrix? One, "Molly is a very good witch," even though most people don’t realize it. And two, "Bellatrix is as obsessed with Voldemort as Molly is consumed with maternal love." What was it like to finish book seven? "It felt like a bereavement." Were there intentional similarities between Voldemort and Hitler? Yes, there were. The books, she said, were "a plea for an end to hatred, to bigotry" as well as a lesson for kids "to question authority…. You should not assume the establishment tells you the truth." Did Hagrid ever find love? Alas, no (though that had something more to do with the rarity of giantesses than any personality defect on Hagrid’s part). To one boy, who revealed his dad had read the series, but not his mom, she said, "If I’ve got time to write ‘em, she’s got time to read ‘em!" As the crowd roared with laughter, she added, "Is your mom here? Who did you come with?" (Dad, not Mom.)
By 8:20 it was over — the talking part, anyway. Rowling, flexing her hands, announced she had to limber up in order to sign all the books, which were stacked in enormous piles next to the stage. Was she really going to do scrawl her distinctive signature that many times? Yes, she was — and the kids, who were now going to be within touching distance of her, became downright emotional.
As for me, a member of the press, I was shunted back out into the hot October night, where it had started to rain. "That was great!" shouted a reporter next to me. Yes, it was. Like those kids, I’ll remember it for the rest of my life.
On the train ride home, as I mulled over the evening, I kept trying to figure out which my favorite book of the series was. Four? Seven? Five? I’ve got a great argument for each of those. But I just couldn’t make up my mind. All of you out there — can any of you say what your favorite is?
Comments (1-30) of 472
It’s a REALLY tough call, but I’m partial to 3 and 6. The story line in 6 between Ron and Lavender is hysterical and the end of 3 when Harry realizes that his patronus is inspired by his father always makes me cry. Man I’m gonna miss this series…
Further proof Rowling HAS to be EW’s entertainer of the year.
Book three is my fav.
I hate the fourth book, I feel it’s completely different in style and tone from all of the others, so for me the fifth one, a welcome return back to form, is great but I have a special place in my heart for the 2nd and 7th.
I think that this was pretty obvious. Not to mention that former defense against the dark arts teacher, Professor Lupine and Harrys godfather Sirus Black were lovers( see The Prisoner of Azkaban ). Lupine said that now that his secret (he was a warewolf, but Rowling used his animalia as a metephor for homosexuality) out, parents would not be able to accept him. One of themes of book three was acceptance.
I hope people don’t go completely bonkers over the revelation that Dumbledore was gay. Or, at least, that Jo “saw” him as gay. When I think back upon the series, it seems to fit his character, and I hope people respect that. (And don’t blow it out of proportion).
THREE CHEERS!
Mine was 3. That’s when the series really starts its ascent to the grand climax of the series.
Prisoner of Azkaban is my favorite and seeing the movie really helped make it my favorite. I was really confused by all the time turner stuff in the book, but after I saw the movie it all became clear. Loads of info from POA comes back for the conclusion. Of course I also love the seventh book, just because it was the end. Hate GOF, also like HBP. 1&2 I see as introduction, not very exciting.
I love the first book because a student gave it to me right after it was published and told me “This book was written for you.”. But,as reader, Goblet of Fire wins out. It has character and plot development as well as high action with incredible fantasy. I’m incredibly envious of your attendance at the reading – I cannot wait to see what she does next.
My one worry is that people will now misinterpret the Dumbledore-Harry relationship as something more than paternal mentor/son. There is an unfortunate (and inaccurate) bias against homosexuals, that they are more likely to be pedophiles, and so on and so forth. As I said, that’s simply not true. Dumbledore and Harry’s friendship is as innocent as Hagrid’s and Hermoine’s. Also, remember that even though Jo “saw” Dumbledore as gay, such is never openly expressed in the books, so readers are still free to see him however they want.
You know, I somehow managed to not cry at the end of the series, but all the tributes (especially Mr King’s) and coverage get me weeping easier than “Bambi” would. Including this one.
PoA stands out for me, though I can’t really pinpoint why. Just a good story, that one was. But I think OotP will always be my favorite. It’s the first time (to me) that Harry was a real person, not just a hero. He got mad, he got jealous, he was faulted, and that made him even more perfect.
Thank God I was able to read all the books.
I have little time left but getting the grand kids started reading Harry Potter.
Thank you for such wonderful stores.
A Fan for ever,
Jesse
The last book gave me goosebumps throughout the entire thing, and while I read it I thought “I love this book”… except maybe the epilogue. However, the last book remains my fave.
Was James Potter (Harrys father) bi-sexual, and if so, did he and Lily ever have a romp with Dumbledore?
This is an important backstory question that needs answered.
Wow the Potter universe was more adulturated than I thought.
Who’s with me on the fact that J.K should do a spin-off series for adluts?Lots of plot possiblilities there like, I don’t know, Neville and Luna stuck in dead-end marriges or she can clarrify if wizards can have divorces.
I just realized I’ve been pronouncing Neville Longbottom incorrectly for the past five years:-/
jk rowling should publised more books!
jk rowling should publised more books!
jk rowling should publised more books!
jk rowling should publised more books!
For me, the Half-Blood Prince was my favourite; Deathy Hallows a very close second. Prisoner of Azkaban not far behind, then Goblet of Fire probably tied with Azkaban. Then I’d say Phoenix, followed by Chamber and Stone.
Book 3 is what sucked me in as it’s the first one to start revealing the back story. I just finished rereading Book 7 and as it ties all the pieces together it’s my second fave. I miss this series already and feel privileged to be a part of newness of what will be a classic for the ages.
i love hermione
people need to stop reading so far into this series. Its not that deep. she is no genius.
Paul,
most likely Sirus (before he met Lupine) and that would pretty much explain how he became Harry’s godfather.
People crying at a book reading?? I don’t get the cultish adoration of these books and this woman. I find it all a bit disturbing.
No she’s not a genius, but as a kids librarian I can tell you that her series was never really intended for kids. Technically the books are really for teenagers. Her themes are dark, and almost adult (not porn-adult). Still she was not the first author to incorporate mature themes into kids books. C.S. Lewis was a very religious Catholic. Aslan signified Jesus in some way. He sacraficed himself for the sake of others then was reborn.
When you write children’s literature, it is a lot easier to make a statement about tolerance, morality, religion or politics because children’s literature authors can blanket the theme with cute animals or wizards. The kids don’t see the main theme. However, when they become older and read the books again, they probably will.
Oh please, there’s all these nay-sayers, but honestly, who cares. If you don’t like the series and don’t like her writing style, that’s great, but don’t try to convince other people.
Despite what YOU may think, you have to look at Harry Potter for what it is: a phenomenon. A phenomenon that actually got kids to read. And read a lot, over 3000 pages. Now that’s really something, a magnificent thing. You can argue about the quality of the writing all you want, but this remains a stone-cold, hard fact.
I’m so glad that one of the most admirable and amazing literary characters is gay! That’s amazing! haha, thanks JK!
Tom, grow a soul, you wanker.
Tina Jordan, ‘chatting up’ is to flirt with someone. I do hope you were chatting TO the father and daughter, otherwise please find help for your sordid problem,
DH replaced my now second favourite, GoF, and in third would have to be HBP. In fourth is PoA, fifth is CoS, sixth is PS, and seventh is by far OotP. I wish this series didn’t have to end, but at least it had a satisfying and well-written ending.
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